A modified horizontal continuous casting process under the electromagnetic field was proposed for preparing AA3003/ AA4045 clad composite hollow billets. To investigate the effect of electromagnetic field on this process, a comprehensive three-dimensional model was developed. Two cases with and without electromagnetic field were compared using the simulations. When rotating electromagnetic stirring is applied, the flow pattern of fluid melt is greatly modified; the mushy zone becomes much wider, the temperature profile becomes more uniform, and the solid fraction decreases for both the external and internal alloy melt layers. These modifications are beneficial for the formation of a bimetal interface and fine and uniform grain structure of the clad composite hollow billet. Experiments conducted using the same electrical and casting parameters as the simulations verify that under the electromagnetic field the microstructure of the clad composite hollow billet becomes fine and the diffusion of the elements at the interface is promoted.
In order to study the wear behavior of different kinds of contact wires,the dry sliding wear behaviors of Cu-Sn,Cu-Ag and Cu-Mg alloys prepared by up-drawn continuous casting and followed continuous extrusion were studied.The research was tested on a block-on-ring wear tester.The results indicate that the friction coefficient is remarkably influenced by the formation of a continuous tribofilm,which consists of oxidation film.The abrasion,adhesion,oxidation and plastic deformation are observed.Oxidation and abrasion wear mechanisms dominate at the lower sliding velocity and load.The combination of oxidation and adhesion play leading roles with the increasing load and velocity.Plastic deformation is detected under higher applied load and sliding velocities.
The three dimensional(3D) microstructures of Al-Bi alloys with different grain refiners(Al-5Ti-B, Al-3B and Al-3Ti) have been studied using synchrotron X-ray microtomography. The relationships between the microstructures and the corresponding wear behavior are verified through the friction and wear tests. The worn surfaces of the samples with grain refiners tested under 15 and 60 N loads are analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM). The results indicate that the addition of grain refiners is beneficial to the size and distribution of the Bi-rich particles in Al-Bi alloys. Compared with Al-5Ti-B and Al-3B grain refiners, the Bi-rich particles are more uniformly distributed and spherical with finer size with the addition of Al-3Ti grain refiner. The refinement renders the Al-20wt%Bi alloy refined by Al-3Ti the superior wear resistance with respect to those refined by Al-5Ti-B and Al-3B grain refiners, corresponding to the microstructures with fine and uniformly distributed Bi-rich particles in the Al matrix.
WANG TongMinCAO FeiCHEN ZongNingKANG HuiJunZHU JingFU YaNanXIAO TiQiaoLI TingJu
A nickel-based coating was deposited on the pure Al substrate by immersion plating,and the Al/Cu bimetals were prepared by diffusion bonding in the temperature range of 450-550 ℃.The interce microstructure and fracture surface of Al/Cu joints were studied by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）.The mechanical properties of the Al/Cu bimetals were measured by tensile shear and microhardness tests.The results show that the Ni interiayer can effectively eliminate the formation of Al-Cu intermetallic compounds.The Al/Ni interface consists of the Al3Ni and Al3Ni2 phases,while it is Ni-Cu solid solution at the Ni/Cu interce.The tensile shear strength of the joints is improved by the addition of Ni interiayer.The joint with Ni interiayer annealed at 500 ℃ exhibits a maximum value of tensile shear strength of 34.7 MPa.
A three-dimensional finite-element model has been established to investigate the thermal behavior of the medium-thick slab copper casting mold with different cooling water slot designs. The mold wall temperatures measured using thermocouples buried in different positions of the mold with the original designed cooling system were analyzed to determine the corresponding heat flux profile. This profile was then used for simulation to predict the temperature distribution and the thermal stress distribution of the molds. The predicted temperatures during operation matched the plant measurements. The results showed that the maximum temperature, about 635 K in the wide hot surface, was found about 60 mm below the meniscus and 226 mm from the center of the mold. For the mold with the type I modified design, there was an insignificant decrease in temperature of about 5 K, and for the mold with the type II modified design, the maximum temperature was decreased by about 15 K and the temperature of the hot surface was distributed more uniformly along the length of the mold. The corresponding maximum thermal stress at the hot surface of the mold was reduced from 408 MPa to 386 MPa with the type II modified design. The results indicated that the modified design II is beneficial to the increase of mold life and the quality of casting slabs.
Xue-lin YinLi WuJun-jia ZhangHui-jun KangZong-ning ChenJin-song ChenZhi-qiang CaoTing-ju LiTong-min Wang
Zn-Al-Cu-TiB2（ZA27-TiB2） in situ composites were fabricated via reactions between molten aluminum and mixed halide salts（K2TiF6 and KBF4） at temperature of 875 °C. The microstructure, mechanical properties and wear behavior of the composites were investigated. Microstructure analysis shows that fine and clean TiB2 particles distribute uniformly through the matrix. The mechanical properties of the composites increase with the increase in TiB2 content. As TiB2 content increases to 5%（mass fraction）, an improvement of HB 18 in hardness and 49 MPa in ultimate tensile strength（UTS） is achieved. The overall results reveal that the composites possess low friction coefficients and the wear rate is reduced from 5.9×10-3 to 1.3×10-3 mm3/m after incorporating 5% TiB2. Friction coefficient and worn surface analysis indicate that there is a change in the wear mechanism in the initial stage of wear test after introducing in situ TiB2 particles into the matrix.
